Automobile seat hinge



Du. 25, was.

F. LEUTZ AUTOMOBILE SKAT RINGE Filed April e. 1927 wuontom Ferdinand Lcutz,

Patented Dec. 25, 192.8;

UNITED STATES 1696,685 PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND LEUTZ, OF HEBRON, NOB'lI-I 'DAKOT'A AUTOMOBILE A1)plication filed April 9,

My invention relates to an automobile eombined seat and bed.

In accorda'nce with my invention, one o1 both front seats of an automobile are adapt-ed to have their backs swung rearwardly to a horizontal Position, f'or u se in conjunction with the rear seat, whereby a bed is produced. In srnaller cars, I also contemplate providihg a foldable extension at the front of t-he bottom of the front seat, which xnay be shifted upwardly and held in horizontal position, t0 constitute a continuation of the bed botto1n.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part 0f this specifi(zation, and in Which Iike numerals are employed to designate 1ike parts thronghont th.e san1e,

Figure 1 is a plan view 01 a eo1nbined seat and bed strueture embodyingmy invention,

Figure 2 is a perspective VieW 01' the hinge structure of the front seat,

Figure 3 is an end elevation ofone of the hinges,

F igure 4 is a longitudina1section taken 0n line 44 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the combined seat and bed structure, with the back of the fr0nt seat elevated,

Figure 6 is a similar view, with the back of the front sezit lowered, and associated e1en1ents adjusted a ccordi1igly,

Figure 7 is a side elevation, parts in section, of the real seat, 01? a modified forn1 01' the invention, showing the bolster in the rear osition,

Figure Sie a si1nilar view showing the bolster in the forward position,

Figu1e 9 is a plan view 0f a further modified forma 01. the invention, the back 0f the front seat being elevated and the bottom o1 the 1ear seat removed,

Figure l0is a side elevation o f the Same, shownig the back of the freut Seat Iowered, withkxssoeiated elen1ents in place,

Fignre 11 is a view showing a bed extension element.

In the drawi1igs, wherein for the pur'pose of illustration, a1e shown prefer1ed e1nbodi- 1ne11ts of my invention, aitent-ion being called to FigureS 1 to 6, inelusi've, the nume1al 15 deSignates the body of a elosed automobile, although the invention may be ap- 'plied to an open autoxnobile. The nnmeral 16 clesignates the back o1 back cuSh1on of SEAT RINGE.

19g7. Serial m. 182,403.

bottoln cushions two being preferably employed. The bottom Cushions 17 rest upon The numeral 20 designates th-e front seat-s,

embodylng bottom cushions 21. These bottom cushions are mounted upon' rectangular frarnes 22, Figure- 2. Either 01 both of the front seats may be foldable forward, and wh-en t=his isdesired, Ehe frame 22 of each botton1 cushion is rigidly attached t0 lugs 23, whieh are hinged t0 brapket-s 24, rigidly attaohed body.

' Each front seatembodies a baekelement to the bottoxn 25 o-f the automobile '01 eushion 26, anal either 01 both 0f these back eushions may be adapted to be swung forWardly over the bottom eushion, 01 locked in the upright pesition, or adjusted and swung rearwardly t0 a horizontal position. T0 aceoniplish this, ea chbottom cushion frame 22 and back cushion are provided With hinges, of a novel construetion. These hinges embodylower hinge elements 27 which are rigi dly attached to the ends 0f the frame 22 and are U-shaped in horizontal eross section. Bach lower hinge element e1nbodies side Walls 28, and a back Wall 29. A holt 30 asses transversely through ehe lower hinge element 27 and is rigidly attziched t0 the side walls 28, and Spaced from the back Wall 29. The back element 01* Cushion 26 embodies a frame including side bars 81, the lower ends Of which serve as upper hinge e1enients. -These lower ends are apertured to slidably -reeeive the 'bolts SO. The lower ends 0f the bars 31 are, therefore, projected 111130 the hol1oWlower hinge e1ements 27, anal a1e capable'of swinging on these bolts or sliding longitudinally thereoi. The back Wall 29 013 'eaeh hinge element i:s proVided adjacent thebuter side Wall 28 with a notch 32, and this back wall Carries an inwardly bent stop element 01 tongue 33, spaced by the noteh 32 from the outer side wa1i 28, a suffieient distanee, to, permit the side bar 31 to pass betwe en the stop element 01 tongue and theside wall 28, arid the lower end o f the bar 31 is reduced at 34, forniing a shoulder5, adapted w engage 9 he h iZ9 lt4l sh ul g 6,

lher 1noclifiecl forma o1 the formecl by the nol1ch 32. It is thus seen fl1a when the bar 31 is shiftecl to the right in contact Willi tl1e outer sicle Wall 28, ancl is swung rearwarclly, shoulcler Will engage shonlcler 36, ancl the rear eclg'e 0E the bar Will be helcl between the stop element o1 tongue 33 and the side Wall 28, ancl hence this bar Will be lockecl against rearwarcl swinging move1nent ancl also lateral shifting move1nent. The back Wall 29 is also pro viclecl with a longitudinal slot 37, extencling downwarclly below the bolt 30, as clearly shown in Figu1e 8. At the bottom, of tl1e slot 87, a shoulder 38 is preferably sta1npecl ontwarclly .f10311 the back Wall 29. By swinging the bar 31 iorwarclly so that it clea1s the stop element 01 tongue 33, this bar may be shiftecl laterally towarcl the slot 37, ancl when in alinement wit-h this slot, the bar may be swung downwarclly into the slot 37, to assume a horizontal position. It is to be unclerstoocl, 0'f course, that the two ba1s 81 connected with the back element 01 cnshion 20 are rigiclly connectecl, ancl move as a unit and the acljnstment 01 both bars is simultaneous.

As shown in Figures 5 ancl G, when it is desirecl t0 produce a becl structure, the back seat element 17 is re1novecl from the support 18, ancl the bolster 19 removecl from the space or chamber 18. The back seat eleme'nt 17 is now shifted rearwarclly as shown in F'igure 6, whereby its real encl enters the space 01 recess 18'. The back seat element 20 of the fronu seat may now be acljusted laterally ancl swung clown to the horizontal aosition, to rest upon the support 18.

In Figures 7 ancl 8, a slight moclification has been 1nade in the back Seat construction. The bolster 19' is generally triangular in cross section, rather than rouncl, ancl the acljacent encls of i;he seat elemcnt 17 ancl back element 16 have been corresponclingly taperecl, whereby the space o1 recess 20 is 013 a suitable shape ancl size t0 receive the bolste1. \Vhen the bolstcr is removecl the seat element 17 is movccl rearwarclly to enter the recess 20' ancl the bolstcr 19 may be a1- rangecl up0n the seat element 17. The back clement 26 cf the front seat is folcled clown npon the support 18.

In Figu1es 9 and 10, 1 l1avc shown a furinvention. In l;hese figures, the back seat embodies a back element 38, ancl a seac element 80, which sc-at element rests upon the support 18.

Mounted to slicle transversely 01 ehe port 18, ancl longituclinally o:E ehe bocly 15 of t-he automobile a1e supporl; bars 10, guiclecl in b1ackets 41, anclproviclecl ab their rea1 encls with st0p hcacls 42. The forwarcl encls cf the ba1s 40 have flexible pulling elements 43, Such as cl1ains o1 straps securecl thereco,

which 1nay be employed to slicle the support bars forWardly beyond the support 18. The

front ancl rea1 seata1e positionecl a suitable distance apart whereby, when the back elcmenfi 26 shifted to the lower horizontal position, such back element will be supportecl by the ba1s 40. It is cf course, unclerstoocl that the san1e for1n of hingecl constrnct-ion is employecl.

1 also conaemplate provicling a becl extension element 43, at the forwarcl encl 0f the seat ele1nent 21 of thc botton1 seat ancl the extension is pivotecl to this seat element, at 14, to swing vertically. The extension cle1ncnt 13 is provicled with a pivotecl foot che lower encl o1 which is atlaptccl, to engage within a socket 46, attachecl to the floor of the auto1nobile bocly. Nhen the extension elemenc 4-.3 is not being usecl, the foot 45 may be swung upwarclly 130 lie close to the extension element 43 ancl this extension element droppecl to a vertical position. The extension cle1nent is particularly useful where a con1binecl seat and becl structure is installecl in a short o1" s1nall automobile where Ehe front ancl back seats a1e not sufilciently it'a1 apart to providc a becl of suflicient length.

It is thus seen that I have proviclecl a Construccion, wherein the back element 0f the front seat may be folcled clown to co-operate with the seat element cf the front s'eat ancl the seati element of the back seat, in providing a becl construction.

lt is to be unclerstoocl that the forms cf n1y invention, herewith shown ancl (lescribecl, a1e to be taken as preferrecl exam ples cf the same, anal that various changes in the shape, size ancl arrangen1ent of parts may be resortecl to without clepart-ing from the spirit o1 1ny invention, o1 the scope of the subjoinecl claims.

Having thns clescribecl my invention I clai1nz 1. A hinge E01 the back section cf an auto- 1nobile scat, comprising a lower hinge section inclucling sides ancl a back, saicl back having an inwardly projecting stop tongue spacecl fro1n both sicles and a longitudinal slot upon One side 0f the stop tongue, a pin carried by the sicles, and an uppe1 hinge section having an aperture to receivc che pin, saicl upper hinge section being cf a Widh to nass between oho stop tongue ancl either sidc, said stop tongue scrving to lock thc upper hinge section against lateral clisplacement.

2. A hinge 101 the back secuion of an auto- 1nobile seab, comprising an upstanding lower hinge section inclucling sicles ancl a back, saicl back having an inwarclly projecting stop tongue spacecl fron1 botl1 sides, saicl back being proviclecl upon one sicle cf the stop tongue Wllil1 a notch anal npon the oppositesicle cf the stop tonguc with a longitudinal slot extencling downwarclly below the notc'l1 fo1 a substantial distance, a pin conne'cting said sides, ancl an u'pper hinge section having an aperture to pivotally receive the pin, said upper hinge section having a shoulder near its aperture, the upper hinge section being 0f a width t0 pass between the stop tongue and either side sec tion, said stop tongue serving to lock the upper hinge section against lateral displacement, the shoulder of the upper hinge section being adapted to engage within said notch.

3. A hinge f0r the back section 0f an automobile seat, comprising a lower hinge section including sides and a back, said back having an upstanding stop ton.gue spaced from both sides, said back having a notch upon one s1de oi the stop tongue and a longitudinal slot upon the opposite side 0f the stop tongue said slot being longer than the notch, a pin carried by said sides, and an upper hinge sectio'n having its free end reduced t0 provide a shoulder, said free end being apertured to receive t-he pin, said upper hinge seetion being of a width to pass between the stop tongue and eit-her side, said stop 'tongue serving t0 10ck the upper hinge section against lateral displacement.

In testimony whereof I aflix nny signature.

FERDINAND LEUTZ. 

